Automatic car-coupling.



' PATENTED. JUNE .19, 1906,

S. P. BUSH. AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATVIONIILED DEB-17.19%.

I WITNESSES T (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

SAB IUEL P. BUSH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

"Be it known that I, SAMUEL P BUSH, a

, resident of Columbus, in thecounty of Frank- ,lin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Couplers, and I do hereby declare the following to bea full,'clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

- My invention relates to improvements in automatic car-couplers, and more particularly to that typ'e'of coupler known as the Janney vertical plane type, the object of the invention being to provide an improved construction of-coupler and operating mechanism for locking, unlocking, lock-setting, and throwing the 'knuckle to an open position. I 7

The usual means employed for operating a coupler of this type consists of a rod applied to one end of a car and extending from one or both corners to the central portion, with an arm located above the coupler. A chain or other connection is made from the end of this arm to the lock. It has been found from experience covering a great many years that the operating mechanism in this position is exposed in such a way that it is frequently damaged so as to makethe coupler inoperative, which results in great inconvenience, loss of time, and more or less danger ,to railroad employees: It has also been found that if the operating mechanism is appliedto the side orbottom portion of the coupler the liability to damage is very much less, for the reason that when cars come violently together and are broken and the lading shifts, that portion of the car above the floor and lading which natur'ally is on top of the floorslides and breaks through, coming in contact with this coupler-operating mechanism. It is obvious, therefore, that if the operating mech-- anism is placed at the side or underneath the liability to damage would at least be greatly reduced.

The invention consists in certain novel features-ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying'drawings, Figure 1 isa view in vertical cross-section through. the draw-head of a coupler illustrating my improvements, showing theparts in locked posi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 17. 1906. Serial No. 312,178.

Patented June 19, 1906.

I tion. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing parts in lock-set position,'and Fig. 3 is a similar locking-block supported on the knuckle-tail ready to fall to locked position when the knuckle is closed.

1 represents the draw head of a coupler which constitutes the housing for the lockingblock 2 and the .rear portion or tail of the knuckle 3. The locking-block comprisesa permit the knuckle-tail 3 to swing without as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the loc 'ng-block has a lateral extension or foot 4, a apted when raised to a position for undraw-head, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. On

jection 6 when the locking-block is elevated engages the top of the draw-head cavity and tilts the block so as to swing the lower end or foot 4 over the shelf 5 and rest thereon when releas d; i

. The ocking-block 2 when in normal locked position, as shown in Fig. 1, rests with its body wall of the draw-head, securely holding the knuckle against pivotal movement. The lower end of the locking-block 2 when in this locked position extends through or rests in the tail of the-knuckle, as shown in Fig. 1, when the knuckle is closed, and the knuckletail is provided with a notch or recess 1 to receive the end of this-tongue 12 when he hereinafter appear.

The 0 eratlon of my improvements is as folmal locke position. 'Whenthe ,bar 10 is.

- view showing theparts in open position with the upper end of the locking-block 2, at one edge, a projection'fi is located,'and this pro latter is drawn outward, as will more fully 105 pulled toward the left, it draws with it the; g upper end of lever 7 and moves the lower r10;

body portion 2 with success 3below the same, cut out 'of' the locking-block sufficiently to engaging the look when the latter is elevated,

locking the knuckle to rest on a shelf 5 of the portion between the knuckle-tail '3 and the an opening in the bottom wall of the drawprojectin through'an opening in the side of thedrawead and normallysupported above lows: T e arts are shown in Fig. 1 innorthis position, the recess in the lock will be opposite the knuckle-tail, and the latter will be'free to open. The tilting of the lockingblock is also aided by the end of lever 7,

which end, in engagement with the lock, moves up and also to the left in the arc of a circle and tends to carry the lower end of the lock-over the shelf 5, and the bottom of the lock is somewhat inclined with relation to the contact between the same and lever 7, which further tends to swing this lower end of the lock over its supporting-shelf. The lock having been raised and the knuckle unlocked, the rear portion or tail of the knuckle is free to swing out through the undercut portion of the lock 2 without resistance; but of course it requires some power and means to move it out," and this is accomplished as follows: First, the bar 10 is pulled out, and with it the upper ortion of the lever 7, and the tongue 12 bar within the head is also moved out, and as said bar approaches its furthermost outward movement the bottom ortion of the tongue 12 rides on the top surfltce of the knuckle-tail, both by reason of the gradually lowering of the pivot 9 swingin about the fulcrum of lever 7 and because t e handle of the bar 10 is adapted when operating to be raised. When the bar has been pulled out to its further-most position, the end of the tongue falls down 1nto the notch or depression 13 in the knuckle-tail. This is all accomplished by taking hold of the handle of the bar and giving it a straight pull, which is a very convenient and efficient means of operating, much more so than the arrangement new in general use.

Now thecnd of the tongue 12 having fallen into this de ression 13 in the knuckle-tail it 'is evident t at if the motion of the bar is reversed and pushed back again the knuckle can readily be caused to' swing into its open osition. In doing so a projection 14 on the bottom of the knuckle-tail comes into contact with the foot 4, which has been raised on the shelf 5, and moves it off this shelf, and the top surface of the recessed portion of the lock and then the bar returning in the opposite direction would accomplish the same result. It will be observed that having once thrown the knuckle into its open position byreturning the bar in the opposite direction from that required to unlock the coupler if ,the handle of the bar be dropped so that the outer end will fall or rest on the bottom of the support 11 the end of the tongue 12 will be raised out of the depression 13, so that in the operation of closing the knuckle the tail will not come violently in contact with the tongue 12 of the bar 1.0.

A great many changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle therein, and a lock, of a lever to move the lock to unlocked position, and a device constructed to move the lever to unlock the knuckle when the device is moved in one direction and to force the knuckle open when moved in the other direction.

2. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle therein, and a lock, of a lever outside the draw-head and constructed to move the lock to unlocking or lock-set position, and a bar constructed to operate the lever and also throw the knuckle open.

3. In a coupler, the combination with a draw-head, a swinging knuckle therein, and a lock, of a lever fulerumed between its ends outside the draw-head and constructed to engage thelock to throw it to open or lock-set position, and a bar connected with the lever to operate the same, and projecting into the draw-head and constructed to engage the knuckle to throw it open.

4. In a coupler, the combination with a coupler draw-head, a swinging knuckle therein, and a locking-block in the head, of a lever fulerumed between its ends to the outside of the draw-head and constructed to be moved tln'ou h an opening in the bottom of the drawead to lift the lock to its open or lockset position, a bar having slot-and-pin connectionwith the lever, lever projecting intotion, and other means for operating the f draw-head} 'a-vswingin adapted to engage the open when the bar is moved longitudinally;

lockizi'g-blockinthe moving the'block to its open or lock-set 0st, stmentioned means ing the'knuckle to throw it o en.

6. In 'a coupler, the com the lever,-a tonguefon the bar projecting into the drawhead and adapted when drawn outward to fall into a notch or recess in the khuoand a, tongne on the the draw-head end knuckle toJthroW it.

"lever p'iyotall secured to the. :adaptedto Ii tion,- and. an operating-bar attachedto'lthe.

pro ectingfiinto; thej-draw-head, Y .'adapte d to operatethe lever to raise the more the knuckle" to'gopen position when and then directly engaglever and ination with, a drew he'ad, a swin mg knuckle, and a lock-' -ingblock in the d r 'crumed to'the' outside of the'draw-head-and' adapted to engage the locking-block through an opening inthe bottom of the draw-head to' I move the lock to its open or lock-set position;

.aw-head, of a lever .ful-

kleso the-t w heiiithe bar is forced inward it.

Will throw the knuckle open. n a co p t-" embin i a draw-head," end n SW-"lllginglknlllgklfi of' e draw-heed when re i'sed' toa v raw-head and. the lock to an; unlocked osi.

190k When moved in one-direc io moved in the reverse diI'GCblQH:

lock constr'uoted"tube set or retained in an *nnlockedQposition *by" Jeans, -within fthef iven'p n i In testimony whereof. I I hei je signed this l specififation in Witnesses: I

' Gno. G. WERRING;

E. G. BENNETT;

the presenceof two' subscribe 111g W1 messes. bar having s'lot-and-pin connection With 1 

